SA urged to save the planet
2008-06-05 07:22
Cape Town - "You, as an individual, can make a real difference to the state of our environment."
That's the message of WWF South Africa's new Be The Hero campaign, according to Dr Morné du Plessis, CEO of the local branch of the conservation organisation.
The WWF, marking World Environment Day, launched the campaign to persuade South Africans that every little bit helps.
"There is a sense among people that environmental degradation is completely out of their hands, but this is simply not true. There are basic steps that South Africans can take that will not only reduce our ecological footprint as a nation, but also save us money!"
Du Plessis adds that, the wealthier people are, the higher their environmental impact is. The middle to higher income groups in South Africa makes up 44% of our population, but are responsible for 75% of the country's water and electricity use. For this reason the campaign primarily targets this group.
"The sad irony in South Africa is that the majority of our population lacks the choices that would give them a large ecological footprint and yet it is the poor who will be the first to feel the impact of a degraded environment.
"As consumers we are increasingly spoilt for choice. No longer are we forced to accept whatever product we can get without knowing the background. Today consumers increasingly have access to information about their product choices and it is therefore our responsibility as individuals to make use of these resources."
'They would think twice'
The Be The Hero campaign aims to provide South Africans with the tools they need to lower their environmental impact.
"We get countless calls and e-mails from people asking us what they can do to have a positive impact on the environment and it is in response to this that we have created this campaign. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to make these changes," says Du Plessis.
The campaign is centred around a website (www.wwf.org.za/hero) which features information on topics such as water, waste, energy and food, four of the major impact areas of middle class South Africans.
Other sections include advice on greening your home as well as downloadable pocket size shopping guide, a green products and services directory and a directory of recycling service providers. The website also acts as a forum for information sharing, as a blog is created for everyone who signs up.
"If people were aware of simple facts such as 'by leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth you are wasting nine litres of water a minute', they would think twice before doing so," says Du Plessis.
If enough South Africans make these changes, the effect will be significant. In the case of the brushing teeth example, a million people turning the tap off while they brushed their teeth twice a day would save 18 million litres of water daily.
The campaign was launched in Cape Town with a video broadcast to Johannesburg to limit the amount of air travel required. Du Plessis commented that there are still relatively few such facilities available and not much readily available information on them.
"Technology can be a real advantage for businesses aiming to cut costs and their environmental impact, so facilities like those used today at Dimension Data hold tangible benefits as long as their availability is known."